Cellular steel floor



1960 w. L. EDGAR 2,950,788

CELLULAR STEEL FLOOR Filed Aug. 30, 1955 I mmvron. William L. Edgar BY ATTORNEY 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 1960 v w. EDGAR 2,950,788

CELLULAR STEEL FLOOR Filed Aug. 50, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. William L. Edgar BY 15M cmm.

1960 w. L. EDGAR 2,950,788

INVENTOR. William L. Edgar BY ,51 .12! c wla- 1 V w. EDGAR 2,950,788

CELLULAR STEEL FLOOR Filed Aug. 30, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

William L. Edgar BY ATTORNEY Aug. 30, 1960 w. L. EDGAR CELLULAR STEEL FLOOR 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 30, 1955 INVENTOR. William L. Edgar BY A T TOR/VE Y structure at the other end of the .supporting and wire distributing CELLULAR TEEL FLOQR William L. Edgar, Vanport, Pa, assignor to H. H. Robertson Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 3d, 1955, fies. No. 531,512 1 Claim. (Cl. l8934) This invention relates to a building construction and more particularly to a cellular steel floor.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved cellular steel floor embodying multicellular floor units having a plurality of spaced and longitudinally extended cells forming potential wire carrying ducts in which provision is made for connecting the units end to end in a novel, simple, economical and eflicrent manner.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved cellular steel floor of the character specified having end joints assuring positive alignment of the cells of connected units and which are adapted to permit longitudinal adjustment of the units relative to each other whereby to accommodate irregularities in the lengths of the units and to compensate for minor variations in field conditions during the erection of the flooring.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the cellular steel floor hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claim at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. -l is a perspective View of two cellular floor units shown disconnected and illustrating the present end joints;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of two multicellular floor units provided with the present end joints and shown in assembled relation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cellular floor units shown in assembled relation;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a cellular floor unit showing the connecting joint structure at one end of the unit;

Fig, 6 is a similar view showing the connecting joint unit;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View similar to Fig. 1 showing the connecting end joints embodied in a modified form of cellular floor embodying the invention;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation illustrating the cellular floor units shown in Fig. 7 in assembled relation;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the connecting joint structure at one end of a cellular floor unit shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the connecting joint structure at the other end of the unit;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 showing another modified form of cellular floor embodying the invention; and

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the cellular floor units illustrated in Fig. 11 shown in assembled relation.

In general the present invention contemplates a cellular metal floor unit for use in the erection of a load floor of the type illustrated in the United States Patents Nos. 1,855,082 and 1,867,433, and in particular comprises an improvement Raised States atent:

in the cellular steel floor illustrated and described in the United States Patent to Crafton, No. 2,694,475. During the erection of such floors the cellular steel floor units are laid end to end, preferably being supported upon girders or beams so that the joints between the ends of adjacent units come over the girders and so that the cells of one unit cooperate with and form extensions of the cells of a second unit to provide a plurality of continuous ducts or conduits extending from one part of the building to another and through which wiring for electrical service of various sorts may be drawn.

In the erection of-such prior cellular metal floors it has been the practice to lay successive flooring units end to end with .the ends in substantially abutting relation. Such practice requires that the flooring sheets forming the components of the flooring units be subjected to a resquaring operation. In practice after the rolling operation for forming the corrugations in the sheets, the resquarlng operations are effected by transverse shears at each end of the unit in order that the ends be perfectly square to provide a substantially tight seam between the abutting ends of the units when erected. Such resquaring practice resulted in a substantial waste of material in the form of scrap and also required the services of several workers in handling the sheets and in controlling the shearing operation.

In accordance with the present invention provision is made for joining the ends of the cellular metal units in nesting and overlapping relation in a manner such that no portions of the ends of the units are required to be in abutting engagement and whereby the units may be adjusted longitudinally relative to each other during the erection thereof to compensate for slight variations in the length of the units and to compensate for minor variations in field conditions. The present invention enables the aforesaid resquaring operations to be eliminated resulting in substantial savings in material and labor in the production of the turits and also eliminating the need for maintaining exact tolerances in the lengths of the units. The novel structure of the end joints of the present cellular metal floor is also such as to maintain the full cross sectional area of metal at the joints so as to maintain the load bearing abilities unimpaired at the ends of the units and also serves to stiffen the joints against accidental damage in transit or by handling during the erection of the floor. The present structure also insures positive alignment of the individual cells of the units and provides substantially smooth internal surfaces at the joints to facilitate their use as raceways for wire pulling.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a cellular metal floor unit embodying the invention which, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, comprises a multicellular unit formed by assembling and uniting together, preferably by Welding, an upper corrugated sheet 12 and a lower corrugated sheet 14 to form a unit having a series of closely spaced parallel hollow beams or cells 16. In erecting the floor, units 1t) extend between the structural steel supporting members of the building framework with the ends of the units resting on and preferably welded to the steel framework of the building, herein shown as comprising girders or beams 18, a plurality of units being laid end to end to form continuous elongated cells. Adjacent units may be laid side by side and connected in interlocking relation by the cooperation of marginal lip portions 20, 22 formed on opposite sides of the upper corrugated sheet 12 in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

In accordance with the .present invention the leading and trailing ends 24, 26 of the floor units are particularly designed for mutual interconnection with corresponding end portions of endwise adjacent units, preferably in a manner such that the leading end portion 24 of one unit may be fitted into nesting and overlapping relation with the trailing end portion 26 of the adjacent unit to assure positive alignment of the individual cells of the units and in a manner such as to permit longitudinal adjustment of one floor unit relative to the other during the erection thereof.

As herein shown, the leading end 244 of the lower corrugated sheet 14 is provided with upwardly offset upper and lower end wall portions 28, of the corrugations, the offsets preferably being substantially equal to or slightly more than the thickness of the metal and extance back from the trailing end, the top and bottom wads of the corrugations at the trailing end being straight and co-extensive with the longitudinally extended top bottom walls of the unit. As illustrated, the laterally extended marginal edges of the lower sheet 14 at the leading end are also ofifset upwardly, as at 29, to fit over the straight marginal edges of the lower corrugated sheet at the trailing end of an adjacent unit.

With this construction it will be seen that when the leading end 24 of one unit is placed in nesting and overlapping relation with the trailing end 26 of a cooperating unit, the upwardly offset upper and lower walis 28, 3d of the leading end will rest on top of and overlap the straight or non-offset upper and lower walls of the trailing end, and the outwardly offset side wall portions 32, 34 of the trailing end will embrace and overlap the straight side wall portions of the leading end with no portion of the ends abutting each other. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, in practice it is preferred to maintain the nominal length of the units such as to provide a nominal amount of overlap, herein shown as about 1 /2 inches overlap, and the length of the offset portions are preferably such as to provide substantial clearance between the end of one unit and the point Where the offset starts in the cooperating unit, such clearance preferably being about /2 inch. Thus, any irregularities in the transverse edges of the units may be accommodated by such clearances, and any minor variations in the length of the sheets or minor variations in field conditions may be compensated for by longitudinal adjustment of one unit relative to the other within the limits of such clearances during the erection of the floor.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, in erecting the flooring the ends of the units are arranged to rest upon the structural supporting girders or beams 18 so that the joints occur above the girders or beams and are welded to the same during the progress of the erection. As herein shown, the upper corrugated sheet 12 of each unit is preferably shorter in length than the underlying corrugated sheet 14, the ends thereof being set back a short distance from the ends of the underlying sheets in order to provide an opening along the top of the units above the joint, as indicated at 36 in Fig. 2, whereby to permit access to the ends of the units to permit them to be conveniently welded to the girders or beams 18 and also to permit inspection of the wiring in the cells during installation of the system. As herein shown, in order to facilitate welding of the overlapping portions of the bottom walls of the joint to the girder 18, the overlying offset bottom wall portions 30 may and preferably will be provided with welding openings 38 whereby the single underlying thickness of the straight bottom walls of the trailing end may be welded to the girder through the openings 38, and then the edges defining the opening may be welded to the underlying wall to secure the ends in place. The opening 36 is subsequently closed by a corrugated cover plate, indicated by dot and dash lines 40 in Fig. 2,

4: which may overlap the edges of adjacent upper corrugated sheets 12 and extend across the width of the unit to be welded or otherwise secured to the underlying portions of the unit in accordance with conventional practice. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, in order to take up some of the metal forced out of alignment with the walls of the cells during the offsetting operation, the straight upper wall portions 42 of the corrugations in the trailing end 26 may be relieved by concave or inwardly bent portions 44.

The resulting joint formed by the nesting arrangement of the offset and aligned portions of cooperating units provides substantially obstruction-free interior surfaces of the cells through which the wires may be drawn, the raw transverse edges of the side walls of the leading end being recessed within the outwardly offset side walls 32, 3d of the trailing end, and in order to prevent inter ference by the raw transverse edges of the offset portions 3 at the joint, the bottom walls of the corrugations trailing portion 26 may be provided with an upwardly set transverse rib portion positioned relative to the end of the portion 30 in the connected joint so as to effect deflection of the wires from such edge as they are being drawn through the cells. Instead of an upset transverse rib portion in the bottom wall, a separate half-round sheet metal member as may be disposed transversely on and secured to the bottom wall of the trailing end 26 as by being welded thereto, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

From the description thus for it will be observed that the present multicellular floor units in addition to being capable of assuring positive alignment of the cells of adjacent units and aitording opportunity to effect longitudinal adjustment of one unit relative to the other during, erection is constructed so as to maintain the fuli cross sectional area of the corrugations to the ends of the units so that the ends are sufiiciently rigid to prevent accidental damage during handling in transit or during erection, and when the ends are connected to form a joint the full cross sectional area of metal at the joints maintains the load bearing properties unimpaired at the end of the joints when the units are erected.

It will be observed that in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the marginal lip portions 20, 22 are formed on the upper corrugated sheet 12 for co-operation in joining the units side by side, such marginal lips being discontinued for the width of the opening 36, and the space being subsequently covered by the corrugated cover member as. In a modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10 the marginal lip portions 21, 23 are formed on the lower sheet 15. As

herein shown, the leading and trailing ends 5'4 52 respectively of the lower corrugated sheet in the modified form of the invention are provided with ofiset wall portions similar to those shown in Fig. 1, the leading end 50 being provided with upwardly oflfset upper and lower walls 54, 56 for cooperation with the straight upper and lower walls of the trailing end of an adjacent unit, and the trailing end 52 of the modified floor unit being provided with outwardly ofiset side wall portions 58, 66 for cooperation with the straight side walls of the leading end of an adjacent unit. In the modified form of the invention, as shown in Fig. 7, provision is also made for permitting nesting engagement of the marginal lip portions 21, 23, and as herein shown, the upper walls of the corrugations adjacent the marginal side edges of the leading end 50 of the unit are ofiset upwardly, as indicated at 62, 64, to rest on top of and overlap the straight upper walls of the trailing end 52, and the male lip portion 21 at the trailing end 52 is offset inwardly an amount equal to or slightly more than the thickness of the metal, forming a recess 65 at the marginal edge to receive the straight lip portion 21 of the leading end Si). The female lip portion 23 at the leading end 50 has its lower end offset upwardiy, as indicated at 66, and the corresponding lip portion of the trailing end 52 has its outer wall offset outwardly, as indicated at 68, the inner wall of the lip 23 at the trailing end being offset inwardly forming a recess as indicated at 70. Thus, when the joint is formed the female lip of the leading end 50 will be nested within the female lip of the trailing end 52, as shown in Fig. 8, to assure positive alignment of the units and to permit longitudinal adjustment of the units during erection. The upper corrugated sheet indicated at 13 may be set back from the leading and trailing ends of the units, as shown, to provide an opening to permit Welding of the units to the girder 13, the opening being subsequently covered by corrugated cover member 73, as shown in dot and dash lines, and the lower wall portions of the lower corrugated sheet at the leading end 56 may be provided with openings 38 to facilitate the welding operation as previously described. As indicated at 71, the lower walls of the trailing end of the corrugated sheet 15 may also be provided with trnasverse upset portions 46 for deflecting the Wires from the raw transverse edges of the overlapping lower walls of the leading end of a connected unit. The upper wall portions 5-4 including the marginal upper wall portions of the lower corrugated sheet at the trailing end 52 may also be relieved by concave portions 44 as shown.

Another modified form of multicellular floor unit is shown in Figs. 11 and 12 and includes an upper fiat sheet 72 welded to a lower corrugated sheet 74 wherein the leading and trailing ends 76, 73 respectively of each unit are provided with offset portions for cooperation with the straight portions of an adjacent unit. The offset portions may and preferably will take the form of the offset portions at the leading and trailing ends of the lower corrugated sheet 14 shown in Fig. l, and as herein shown, the upper and lower walls of the corrugations at the leading end 76 are provided with upwardly offset portions 813, 82, respectively for cooperation with the straight upper and lower walls of the corrugations at the trailing end of an adjacent unit, and the trailing end 78 of the unit is provided with outwardly offset side wall portions 84, $6 for cooperation with the straight side Walls of an adjacent unit. The laterally extended marginal edge portions 81 o'; the leading end of the corrugated sheet are likewise upwardly offset to fit over the corresponding straight marginal portions of the trailing end of an adjacent sheet. As illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, the upper flat sheet 72 is provided with marginal lip portions S8, 90 for cooperation in joining the units side by side, and the upper sheets 72 are also preferably set back a substantial distance from the ends of the units to provide a top opening to permit access for welding of the lower walls of the corrugated sheet to the girder 18, such opening being subsequently closed by a fiat cover member as indicated in dot and dash lines at 75. Welding openings 38 may also be provided in the lower walls of the leading end of each unit to facilitate the welding operation as in th previously described embodiments, and as indicated at 92, the lower walls of the trailing end of the corrugated sheet 74 may be provided with transverse upset portions to deflect the wiring drawn through the cells from the raw transverse edges of the overlapping lower walls of the leading end of the unit when the ends are con-- nected.

From the above description it will be observed that the present structure of end joints for connecting the ends of adjacent cellular metal floor units results in mainte nance of the full cross sectional area of the corrugated load bearing units at the joints whereby the load bearing properties of the units at the joints are not impaired. Also, the overlapping and longitudinally adjustable feature of the end joints permits the use of cellular floor units without requiring them or their component corrugated sheets to be resquared or transversely sheared to an exact predetermined length during the production of the units, thereby resulting in substantial savings in material and labor in the manufacture of the units.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been herein illustrated and described it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claim,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a building construction, a flooring structure comprising a plurality of multicellular sheet metal flooring units erected side by side and end to end upon a supporting framework to form the flooring, each flooring unit comprising an upper sheet and a lower corrugated sheet secured thereto and forming a plurality of spaced and longitudinally extending cells comprising potential wiring ducts, the transverse marginal edges defining each end of the lower corrugated sheets being irregular in contour but otherwise aligned in the same plane, each corrugation comprising substantially straight upper, side and lower Walls, the corrugations at the leading end of each lower sheet having upwardly ofiset upper and lower walls forming elongated recesses receiving in nesting and overlapping relation the straight upper and lower walls of the corrugations of the trailing end of the lower sheet of an adjacent unit, the trailing end of each lower sheet having outwardly offset side walls relative to the center of each cell forming an elongated expanded end portion of each cell arranged to receive in nesting and overlapping relation the straight side walls of the corrugations of the leading end of the lower sheet of an adjacent unit, said upper, lower and side Walls being offset an amount slightly more than the thickness of the metal of the units, thereby forming an overlapping and non-abutting connecting joint between the units adapted to accommodate corrugated sheets having transverse edges irregular in contour and capable of permitting longitudinal adjustment of connected units relative to each other to accommodate slight variations in the lengths of the units during erection of the floor, the upwardly offset lower walls of the leading end of the corrugated sheet being extended within the cells and in overlapping relation to the corresponding straight lower walls of the trailing end and welded in their overlapped condition to said framework, said straight lower walls having transverse projections provided with beveled edges and extending upwardly from said bottom walls to a height at least equal to the thickness of said upwardly ofiset lower walls and disposed to deflect the wiring drawn through the cells from engagement with the irregular contour edges of said upwardly oifset lower walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,125,366 Young et al. Aug. 2, 1938 2,419,996 Honikman i May 6, 1947 2,445,198 Wiesmann July 13, 1948 2,694,475 Crafton Nov. 16, 1954 2,729,429 Goemann Jan. 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 450,679 Great Britain July 17, 1936 502,701 Canada May 18, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Sweets 1954 Catalog, sec. 2a/Ro, p, 18. Sweets 1954 Catalog, sec. 2d/Roe, p. 9, H, H. Robertson Co. 

